Current view: Text account
Site description (2008 baseline):
Site location and context
Ngeriungs is the second largest of the four islands within Kayangel Atoll. Kayangel Atoll and Ngaruangel Atoll, further to the north, form the state of Kayangel, the northernmost state of Palau. The four islands of Kayangel State (Kayangel, Ngeriungs, Ngerbelas, and Orak) comprise a total land area of 3 km2. Forest cover on the islands is of the strand type which is not found on Babeldaob and is limited to a few fragmented patches on Palau’s southern islands. The islands are currently accessed only by boat, and rarely by helicopter, as the atoll is separated from the main Palau archipelago by 40 kilometers of lagoon and open sea. Seaplanes have been used to access the islands in the past. Of the four islands, only one (Kayangel) is inhabited, with a population in 2005 of 188 people. The other three islets are uninhabited, although they are used for camping, hunting, and other recreational uses. It is possible to walk from islet to islet during extremely low tides. Most of the islands are privately and clan owned, although some portions of the inhabited island of Kayangel are owned by the state.
The Micronesian Megapode is listed in both the IUCN Red List and the US Endangered Species List. It is locally common on Kayangel Atoll and the Rock Islands but rarely found on the big island of Babeldaob. The range outside of Palau is restricted to the Mariana Islands. Traditionally, the megapode eggs were a high status food and reserved for chiefs and other clan royalty. Today, although protected by law, the raiding of nests poses a threat to this species. Ngeriungs was selected among the four islands of Kayangel as an IBA mainly because it has the highest recorded number of Micronesian Megapodes and nests. While smaller numbers of megapodes were recorded at two other islands in Kayangel, Ngeriungs clearly stood out as being a uniquely important megapode nesting site.
Non-bird biodiversity: The beaches of all the islands in Kayangel are known to be nesting sites for endangered sea turtles, both the green and hawksbill. The islands are also home to a large population of coconut crab that is harvested for subsistence and small-scale commercial sale. All of the islands of Kayangel Atoll contain atoll forest, characterized mostly of strand species. Such forests make up only 1% of Palau’s forest cover and therefore are unique habitats.
Pressure/threats to key biodiversity
Access to Ngeriungs is limited to boat transport. As of early 2008, there is no development on the island so, currently, there is little or no loss of habit. The most urgent threat to the megapode population is thought to be the presence of invasive alien species. The presence of rats, the Norway rat (Rattus norvegicus) and the ship rat (R. rattus), has been confirmed on the island. The ground-nesting megapode is especially vulnerable to these species. Cats are also confirmed to be present on Ngeriungs. On the nearby main island of Kayangel, other invasive species include dogs, cane toads, Rhinoceros beetles, and a number of invasive plants. The island is almost exclusively privately owned. The threat of development and habitat loss cannot be eliminated. Hunting and poaching of nests also remain a threat. Protection of the site may best be achieved through working with land owners to develop agreed-upon guidelines for development and use of the island’s resources, the potential establishment of protected area status and the control and eradication of alien invasive species.
The island is almost exclusively privately owned.
Recommended citation
BirdLife International (2024) Important Bird Area factsheet: Ngeriungs, Palau (Palau). Downloaded from
https://datazone.birdlife.org/site/factsheet/ngeriungs-palau-iba-palau on 23/12/2024.
